


The Scientists

by NimueOfTheNorth



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-08 21:39:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8863099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NimueOfTheNorth/pseuds/NimueOfTheNorth
Summary: The first thing Aaron saw of his new neighbour were his dogs. Little did he know their friendship with his son would lead to so much more for himself.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dazeventura6](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dazeventura6/gifts), [DarkJediQueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkJediQueen/gifts).



> This was written as a gift in celebration of life and creativity.  
> It was most definitely inspired by DarkJediQueen's Universe of Meetings.

Aaron hadn't lasted long in the apartment he chose when his marriage broke apart.

It had been a hurried choice to have some place to stay but he'd never even unpacked much beyond his clothes and daily needs. When his six months lease was nearing its end he‘d gone and found himself a nice little house with a decent garden.

It was old but had been restored and updated by the previous owner. He thought it charming and homey and it was absolutely nothing like the proper, representative house Haley had wanted. That was probably more of a factor in his decision than was strictly healthy but he took it for what it was. It was also a stark reminder how incompatible their ideas of life had become.

He'd also bought the house to have space for his rumbustious son to burn some energy.

The house had felt incredibly large and empty when Jack had to go into witness protection with Haley. But at least it was his safe space. For all the horror the attack of Foyet had brought, having your hotel room invaded was infinitely easier to take than having your home invaded. Coming home had felt safe and it had been a fresh start, a place with no bad memories for Jack after his mom had been killed.

The neighbours were nice, which was a bonus, and many had children, so nobody complained about the noises that came with playing outside. Aaron wasn't a man to make friends easily but he'd found a sense of community here that was rare in the usual anonymity of the big cities and it only added to his feeling of security.

The house on his left was similar in style and size and had belonged to an adorable elderly couple. They'd moved closer to their children a little less than a year ago and nobody had bought the place for quite a while.

Today was one of the first truly warm days of spring and finding himself with a rare weekend off Aaron decided to get some work done outside to get the garden ready for summer. Haley had never enjoyed gardening and had always wanted to call in someone professional. Aaron actually liked digging up the flower beds and even mowing the lawn. His garden might look less like a glossy magazine cover but the plants were sturdy enough to survive his regular absence (with a little watering from the neighbours) and it was all his.

Returning from the garden centre Jack abandoned him to unloading the car and ran into the backyard to enjoy the swing he'd begged his father to put up in the one old tree they had.

Since about a week earlier there had been a bold lettered SOLD taped over the for sale sign next door and now there was a rental van full of boxes parked in the driveway. Aaron didn't want to pry but decided to keep an eye out for his new neighbours. Old habits, caution and all that.

He met the new inhabitants sooner than he expected. At least the four legged ones.

Carrying a bunch of flowers through the gate he didn't find his son on his swing but on the ground surrounded by three excited bundles of fluffy fur in various shades of brown.

“Dad! Look! They came through the hedge. Aren't they adorable?”

“They are, but please don't let them lick your face, Jack.” Aaron set down his load and was turning towards the hedge when a slender young man with a shock of curly hair and glasses in front of expressive eyes appeared there. He looked eerily familiar.

“Nicolas, Albert and Isaac, where did you three vanish to?” Even scolding the man's voice was melodious.

_Please let him be stupid or annoying or an arrogant prick, just anything or I'm doomed,_ was all Aaron could think because his new neighbour hit absolutely every single one of his buttons where physical attraction was concerned.

He schooled his features to answer without his entirely too teenaged reaction showing. “The Scientists are getting acquainted with my son, it seems.”

“Oh, hi. I'm so sorry about that. The real estate agent assured me the property was fenced in so I put the dogs in the garden to not have them underfoot while unloading the boxes and suddenly they were gone. Trust them to find even the smallest gap and get through - you little escape artists, you.” The stern look he threw the little dogs was kind of adorable but did lead to some apologetic body language on side of the dogs. “Ehm, I'm your new neighbour, by the way. Dr Spencer Reid.” He gave Aaron an awkward but endearing _(shut it, subconscious)_ little wave.

And now he remembered where he had met the man before. Dr Spencer Reid had been the over eager kid at their recruitment speech at CalTech, what, 9, 10 years ago? The genius Gideon had tried but failed to lure into the FBI and more importantly the BAU.

_So definitely not stupid, what have I done to deserve such temptation?_

“Aaron Hotchner, though without thinking too highly of myself I assume you'll already know that.”

“Yes, I remember you. The estate agent mentioned there was an agent living next door, I never expected it to be you. It's a nice surprise.”

He shrugged with one shoulder and Aaron just raised an eyebrow at the comment. _Well, at least I'm not an unpleasant surprise. Don‘t get your hopes up, Hotch, he's just making small talk._

“What are you doing on the east coast, Dr Reid? If I remember correctly you were originally from Vegas.”

“Yes, I am. Ehm, I just accepted a teaching position at GWU.” 

“Congratulations and welcome to the neighbourhood. Oh, and your dogs' new best friend is my son Jack.”

“Hello Dr Reid! Your dogs are awesome! Which one is who?”

“The one in your lap is Isaac, he likes snuggling the most. The darkest is Albert and the one with half an ear missing is Nicolas. Careful with him as he likes to chew on shoes, even while your feet are in them.” He turned his look at Aaron. “I probably should come over and collect them. Maybe I can patch up the fence or they'll just have to be content on their leashes for a bit.”

“But they could stay with us while you move in,” came Jack's enthusiastic offer. “I can play with them and take care of them. They'll be sad on a leash.” As if the dogs understood there were four sets of puppy dog eyes turned on the two adults.

“I couldn't ask that of you. Really, it'll be fine. I should have checked the fence properly. I'll have it fixed or a new one installed as soon as possible.”

Aaron sighed. _And there goes the arrogant prick argument not to like him._ “No, it's fine. Jack's right, we'll be in the garden for a few hours at least and it's no bother. This way you can focus on getting your boxes inside.” He hesitated but then decided to make the offer anyway. “Call me if you need any help, though I'll likely be full of dirt, I have to get those plants into the ground.”

“Thanks, but I'm used to moving on my own. But if the three little mischief makers could stay with you for a while, that would be really helpful.”

Reid didn't exactly look like he was a physical powerhouse, so moving alone seemed an odd choice, but Aaron tried really hard not to read any more into that.

They each went to their respective tasks at hand while Jack got creative with games and little obstacle courses for the dogs. The Scientists, as Aaron had dubbed them in his mind, were the perfect companions for a little kid, playful, energetic, tolerant and each with their own character.

When the sun came down and the air grew chilly, Reid came over to collect his tired but happy pets from an equally so Jack. Reid looked more achy and pleased with a good day's work, just like Aaron himself felt.

“Thank you again for taking them today. I'll look into the fence tomorrow and make some phone calls on Monday.”

“They were easy to have around. Jack adores dogs but with all the travelling for my job we can't really have one. So today was a real treat for him. If they end up in our yard again it's no issue as the other sides are all securely fenced in. You're free to come over and collect them should we not be in.”

Later, after a dinner of ordered in pizza because Aaron couldn't motivate himself to cook, exhausted as he was, and putting Jack to bed with sleepy ramblings about all the things the dogs had done, Aaron sank into his favourite comfy chair. It looked out a window to the no longer unoccupied house.

Spencer Reid at 19 had been intriguing in a professionally curious sense. A genius and prodigy but essentially still a kid in a gangly body with a quick mouth, a bundle of insecurities and more chutzpah than was strictly good for him. At 29 Spencer Reid was still overly slender but had somehow matured into it with elegance. Still with expressive gestures but more precise. Still talkative but tempered by the knowledge that people listened to him. His shyness and boldness had seemingly found a happy medium to coexist. And his eyes were still as knowing and observant and so very expressive as they'd been at their first meeting.

Aaron dragged a weary hand down his face.

_Yupp, you're doomed._

 

\----

 

Spring had moved into summer. The company for the fence had installed it with a gate that was mostly kept open when they were home and The Scientists were as much at home at the Hotchner‘s as they were at Reid's house. They even had their own water bowl on Aaron's porch.

The team had come home from an almost two week case late Friday evening and Aaron decided on grilling some burgers for lunch on Saturday. Looking at the large bowl of salad he'd tossed together and the number of burgers in the fridge he deliberated for a long time but eventually dialled Reid.

It rang a few times before he could see movement behind Reid's office window as the man dug around his desk for his phone. _And what are you doing watching your too attractive, too young for you neighbour answering your call?!_

“Hi Hotch! What can I do for you?” Reid sounded pleased though still a little distracted and Aaron could see his eyes still resting on his work.

“I was wondering if you'd wanted to join us for a bit of lunch. It's just homemade burgers and salad.”

“Is it lunch time already? I'd like that if I'm not imposing, that is.”

“I invited you, didn't I? Half an hour?”

“Sounds good, I'll be there.” Ending the call Reid looked up from his work, right at Aaron as if he'd known he was there all along and smiled at him.

And damn it, he would not admit what that smile did to the butterflies in his stomach. He just nodded at Reid and turned back to the kitchen island, looking for the shreds of his dignity.

Jack loved having Reid over almost as much as having The Scientists around because Jack was an infinitely curious kid and nobody had more answers than Reid.

One question he'd forgotten to ask again and again was probably one of the most obvious ones.

“Dr Reid, what kind of breed are The Scientists?”

“They‘re a mix, actually. The vet is pretty sure that there is dachshund and Maltese and probably some Shih Tzu in them. But we can‘t know for sure.”

Jack frowned a little. “Why can‘t you know that? Don‘t you know who the mummy and daddy dogs are?”

“No, I don‘t. I found them.” He looked at Hotch in question before continuing his story, so Aaron was pretty sure it wasn‘t good. But Jack‘s own life had hardly been as sheltered as Aaron would have liked so he didn‘t see a reason why he shouldn‘t hear the dogs‘ fate. So he just nodded.

“I was throwing some trash into the dumpsters behind my apartment building when I noticed a box beside it. I just thought one of the older tenants hadn‘t managed to lift it far enough up to throw away, that happened sometimes and somebody else would just do it instead. So I picked up the box and thought I‘d heard a weird noise. When I looked inside, I found those three. They were tiny and weak.”

Jack looked shocked and had pulled Isaac, his favourite onto his lap to cuddle. “How old were they?”

“Only a few days, eyes still closed and totally helpless.”

“Somebody threw puppies away?” Jack was absolutely outraged.

“Pets are a lot of responsibility,” Aaron tried to explain, “and not everybody can handle that.”

“Then they should never even gotten a pet!”

“No, they shouldn‘t,” Reid agreed. “I took them to a shelter but they said that puppies so young without their mother rarely made it. They even hinted that maybe they should just be spared the suffering. I couldn‘t leave them there. They deserved at least a proper chance. So I took them to a vet and had them tell me everything I needed to know to care for them. Nicolas had it the worst. His ear had gotten hurt and was infected. But the vet was truly awesome and patched him up as good as was possible.”

“And now he is the pirate of the three.” Jack was brightening up, choosing to focus on the positive aspects of the story.

“I had no experience with dogs but it was the beginning of semester break and I just essentially declared those three my summer project. I could afford to get up at all hours to feed them, clean them, and keep them warm.”

“And you named them after Newton, Einstein and Tesla.” Aaron had wondered a little bit over those choices.

“Three strong and brilliant men that tackled the obstacles in their way with brain rather than brawn - it seemed fitting.”

“And you were a good puppy dad because they‘re all here and healthy and happy!” Jack was beaming and Isaac was wagging his tail.

Spencer smiled but there was a nuance of sadness that Aaron noticed.

“Yes, I managed to raise them. I had planned to find good homes for them but by the time they were old enough, I had completely fallen in love with them and couldn‘t make myself give them away. Good thing they never stopped getting along as they grew up.”

“Of course not, they‘re brothers.” Jack hesitated for a moment but then gave into his urge and hugged Reid short but fierce. "Thanks for being their hero!" Then he ran off, distracting himself by playing with the eager dogs leaving a slightly shocked dog owner behind.

Aaron‘s look lingered on Reid. “There was another one, wasn‘t there?”

“Yes. Never even made it to the shelter.” He stood up abruptly and carried their plates inside.

Aaron took a deep breath and gave him some space, gathering the rest of their things on a tray and then throwing the ball when it landed in front of his feet.

 

\----

 

The Scientists and Jack were moving back and forth between their gardens and houses like there was no boundary at all and Aaron almost felt like he was in a very relaxed and amicable joined custody arrangement.

It worked wonderfully during the summer months when Jack had no school and Jessica couldn't work from home all the time. Reid barely needed to be on campus and preferred working at home. He had offered to watch Jack one day as a last minute solution when an appointment had come up for Jessica and Jack had loved it. Not only could he enjoy the time with the dogs - and he never seemed to get tired of that - but Reid had also set up age appropriate science experiments for him.

When Aaron got home he found his son in swimming trunks and a t-shirt, barefoot in a puddle of water on Reid's lawn with various buckets, jars, tubing and assorted knickknacks strewn around. Reid himself was barefoot in rolled up khakis and a polo and Aaron tried really hard not to look on the additional exposed skin. _If I start lusting over naked feet and ankles than I‘m crushing even more pathetically than I thought. Damn, I need to get laid. No! Damn it! I need to get a handle on this!_

“So, what‘s all this?”

“I learned about volume of things, Dad, and we made water run upwards and from one jar to the other and we tried out what floats and what doesn‘t and Spencer explained why!”

“And in the process you transformed his lawn into a swamp, I see.”

Aaron hadn‘t meant to make it sound overly criticising but Jack looked chastised all the same. Luckily it had no chance to really sour the mood as Reid was quick to jump in.

“It was inevitable with the kind of experiments we did. I figured with the temperatures as they are it would be a nice way to cool down for us and The Scientists.”

And indeed the dogs were running in and out of the puddles with Albert shamelessly rolling onto his back in a deeper puddle.

“They haven‘t caught on to the fact that they‘ll end up in the tub later,” Reid added with a vary look to the little threesome.

“Can I help to bathe them?” Jack asked eagerly. “And can I come and spend the day with you again some time? This was sooo awesome!”

“Slow down, Jack.” Aaron couldn‘t quite suppress the chuckle at his son‘s eagerness. “Dr Reid has work to do, even if he can do it at home. It was very kind of him to watch you today but we can‘t impose on him all the time.”

“Oh, okay,” Jack deflated. “I understand. I just had so much fun!”

“I had fun, too, Jack,” Reid assured him and made him smile. “Your dad is right that I have things to do, but I‘m sure we can arrange for you to spend another day with me. We‘ll figure it out. As for the bathing, I think I‘ll better do that on my own. The Scientists will be a little bit too excited with you around and my bathroom will look like the garden does and I think I‘d rather avoid that.” He ruffled Jack‘s hair affectionately.

“It‘s also time for dinner, Jack,” Aaron added. “But if it‘s really fine with Dr Reid I‘m sure Jessica wouldn‘t mind a day without you to take care of her appointments.”

That had Jack brighten up and he said his goodbyes to Reid and The Scientists in a much better mood. Aaron was convinced to say goodbye to the dogs as well though he made quite the effort to keep them away from his trouser legs, the suit had only just been to the dry cleaners.

 

\----

 

Their play and science dates during the summer had brought Jack and Reid closer together and Aaron had been dragged along onto various activities the two wanted to do on weekends. It wasn‘t that he didn‘t like the activities, quite the opposite, but it got more and more difficult not to act on his attraction the more time they spent together. And outright addressing it became close to impossible. Aaron would never forgive himself if Jack lost the friendship with Reid and his dogs because he made his neighbour uncomfortable with his romantic interest.

When school started up again in autumn, Jack asked Reid for help with a science project for school. He‘d found the list of suggestions the teacher had handed out boring and so had gone to the expert to come up with something more fun and maybe even a little spectacular.

It had come to the point where Aaron barely saw Jack anymore because he was at Reid‘s house building whatever his surprise project was. He‘d begged his dad not to ask and to just wait for the surprise during the little science and art fair the school would be having next weekend.

Aaron had looked at Reid in question, not sure it was a good or responsible idea to let his son bring something to school that he had no idea about.

“I promise it‘s safe and age appropriate. And Jack is doing as much work as he possibly can. I‘m just providing some information, explanations and the occasional helping hand,” the younger man had assured him and he‘d trusted him enough to let it be.

Currently he was making good use of a Saturday afternoon alone at home, his son happily occupied next door, by working through some recent publications relevant for profiling. He‘d need them to update the class he taught for the academy every now and then, cases permitting. Nicolas had chosen to keep him company, like he so often did. It was like The Scientists had made a pact to not leave him alone and one would always show up when Jack went over to Reid‘s. Isaac was a rare guest, still being Jack‘s favourite and vice versa. But Albert or Nicolas, sometimes both would reliably come to his backdoor and demand entry.

He was making even more of an effort because recently Reid had hinted at wanting to invite him for a guest lecture in his ‘Statistics and Data in Criminal Investigation’ class for his master students.

When he was going over his notes for the fourth time, looking for more impressive ways to present his material, thinking about more intriguing cases to tie into the lecture, he dropped his head in his hands and shook it.

_Are you really trying to impress your crush with a lecture about serial killers? Really, Aaron?! That must be the most stupid idea since Barry Carmichael tried to get a peck on the cheek from Sandra Sullivan by doing a handstand on his bike. You might get away with all your teeth intact though._

He was saved from his musings by the doorbell ringing.

To his surprise he found Rossi on the outside. “Dave, what can I do for you? Everything alright?”

“Yeah, everything‘s fine. Sorry to show up unannounced, I just... I‘m stuck on a case for my new book and I was driving to clear my head and found myself close by. I thought maybe you wouldn‘t mind if I ran it by you as a second opinion.”

“Of course not, come on through, I‘m in the study.”

Once they settled down, Dave didn‘t seem all that inclined to talk about his problem with his book. He was instead staring pointedly under Aaron‘s desk where Nicolas was draped over his feet. (It had taken all of three really stern Unit Chief glares™ to stop him from ever again trying to chew on Aaron‘s shoes. He still did it to most everybody else though.)

“Okay,” Rossi eventually broke the silence, “when did you get a dog? And why haven‘t you told us about it?”

“I didn‘t get a dog. This is one of three dogs of my neighbour and they sort of adopted Jack and me. Jack is visiting next door so Nicolas here came over to keep me company.”

“And what kind of relationship do you have with your neighbour that their dogs are so close to you?” Rossi raised an eloquent eyebrow.

“I‘m sure I don‘t know what you‘re talking about, Dave. Reid is helping Jack with a science project, seeing as he‘s actually a scientist with the titles to prove it. And the dogs just like to roam between the houses and gardens. I‘m entirely certain they think they get more treats that way.”

“Nice one, Aaron. Now try again. Because that dog is totally giving me the evil eye, staking a claim on you, most likely on behalf of his owner. He is very much prepared to interfere should I prove to be competition.”

Aaron was quiet dumbfounded upon that revelation but tried not to show it. His experience with dogs was rather limited and he just hadn‘t read much into the behaviour because it hadn‘t ever posed a problem.

_Does that mean the dogs think Reid and I are together, that I belong to their master, or does it actually mean that Reid, that Spencer... No! Don‘t go there. Dave is seeing things or the dogs are or... you‘d never be that lucky._

Aaron cleared his throat. “You wanted to discuss something about your new book?”

Dave allowed the change in subject, knowing very well that sometimes Aaron Hotchner just wouldn‘t be budged.

Aaron for his part tried very hard to focus on Dave‘s issues but was incredibly distracted by his running thoughts and hopes. He felt the weight and warmth of Nicolas on his feet much more profoundly than ever before.

 

\----

 

The science and art fair had been a success all around and everyone had a lot of fun.

Jack had proudly presented his elaborate chain reaction using colourful liquids, pressure, floatation and displacement. He could explain precisely what happened in which step, the measurements of each component and even how the time delayed colour change in the last jar worked from a chemical point of view. And everything worked perfectly even through multiple repeats.

Aaron was impressed by the obvious work, his son‘s knowledge and understanding, his skilled presentation and on top of everything, the whole thing looked pretty.

Reid had come along on Jack‘s insistence, though he kept himself to the background, quite unlike many of the helicopter parents that had so very obviously built their kid‘s project - and that in some case didn‘t even work.

Aaron and Reid had taken turns staying with Jack and wandering the fair. Refilling some of the jars required Jack to climb on a stepping stool and Reid had made him promise not to do that without an adult watching him before Aaron could even say a thing about it.

Jack had been chatting with classmates and teachers and talking about Reid always brought up The Scientists as well. “Spencer‘s dogs are so clever and fun. They love coming over and I get to walk them and teach them tricks. Dad calls them The Scientists and pretends he doesn‘t love them as much but I know he‘s always glad when Nicolas keeps him company in the study. And last week I even saw Nicolas on Dad‘s lap on the couch, though he‘d said they weren‘s allowed on the inside furniture.”

Jack never stopped laughing about this story and his stern father caving to the fluff and sad eyes of a little dog.

They were currently having some muffins one of the moms had baked for a snack and Aaron noticed Reid a few stands over helping a girl with drying tears on her face fixing whatever had gone wrong with her experiment.

“Your new partner is wonderful with kids and the science stuff.”

Aaron turned towards the voice of Jack‘s teacher, Carla. She lived in the same neighbourhood as them so they‘d been on a first name basis before Jack ever started school. “Excuse me? Dr Reid and I aren‘t in any kind of intimate relationship.” _Not that I didn‘t wish we were but I don‘t expect to get what I want anyway._

“Oh, I‘m sorry. I just assumed, seeing how you two and Jack and the dogs move back and forth between both properties and all the times you went on outings together. I‘m not the only one, you now. If you have a problem with it you should probably say something.”

_What the... how did my not even existing love life become the subject of neighbourhood gossip?_

“I don‘t have a problem with it, it‘s just not true. And I couldn‘t tell you how Dr Reid feels about it.” _I wish I knew._

He thought he heard her mutter “I don‘t think he‘d mind” under her breath but she just nodded and smiled at him.

When they got home later The Scientists eagerly greeted them at Aaron‘s gate. They found a place to stash the equipment in the garage because Reid insisted that it was all Jack‘s to keep, so he wouldn‘t lose all that hard work he‘d put in.

“Come on you three!” Jack ran off to play with the dogs in the garden until dinner after all that sitting inside he‘d done during the day.

Aaron made coffee and prodded Reid into his living room, where they could keep an eye on the four playmates.

“Thank you, Reid, for doing this whole project with Jack. I do what I can and Jessica is a great help but neither of us could have made this so wonderful for him.”

Reid looked at him in contemplation. “Why do you do that?“

“What?”

“Cling to last names. I offered you my first name months ago. But you persistently call me Reid and I know ‘Hotch’ is a beloved nickname but still it‘s derived from your last name. You try to express a distance that we don‘t really have between us. I‘m wondering why?”

Aaron felt suddenly on the spot under those intense, knowing, hazel, _beautiful_ eyes. He didn‘t know what to say, it all sounded stupid in his mind so he just sipped his coffee and watched Jack and The Scientists play ball.

“I heard a few interesting assumptions today,” Reid eventually broke the silence.

Aaron closed his eyes and sacked into himself a little. “I‘m sorry about the gossipers, I don‘t know where that idea came from.”

“Oh, I don‘t mind the assumptions. After all you‘re quite the catch, it‘s flattering, really. It just makes me wonder how every one but you has caught on to it. It‘s not as if I tried to be subtle.”

Aaron felt completely blindsided. _Did I really miss that? How could I be that blind? Can he really mean what I hope he means? Oh God! Damn you Aaron! Talk about being your own worst enemy. Did my doubts make me that blind? Were there signs? Oh God, I'm stupid! And why would a guy like Reid, like Spencer want to be with somebody as thick ass me? Now I've definitely blown it._

He was pulled out of his running thoughts by soft dry lips pressing against his. The kiss was sweet, tender, almost chaste but entirely unhurried. When Spencer drew back, Aaron hadn't reciprocated at all. He'd just sat there stunned into inactivity.

Spencer looked deep into his eyes and brushed his thumb along his bottom lip. “Think about what you want. I will always be Jack's friend, nothing could change that. But don't cheat us out of something that could be wonderful. Not if we both want it.”

Spencer straightened and walked towards the front door. 

Aaron was still sitting there frozen until all of a sudden it hit him that one of the probably best things in his life was walking away from him. _Idiot!_ He jumped out of his chair and ran for the door getting there when the younger man already had his hand on the knob.

“Wait! Spencer, please wait!” He reached for his arm even though Spencer was already turning towards him all on his own. The smile on his face gave Aaron hope and it took him a moment to notice that he had finally used his first name. “Do you really mean that? Do you really think that we have potential? Do you truly want us to be an us?” _And could I sound anymore like a teenage girl?_

“Yes, I believe we could be good together and I very much want to try. But only if you are sure. I don't like random experiments on the relationship front.”

“I'm sure,” Aaron said without the slightest hesitation. “I was always sure about my feelings for you. I just never thought you might feel the same for me. And I was too chickenshit to ask and now I really sound like an insecure teenage girl and why could you possibly want to date someone like that.” He pushed a hand through his hair a little helplessly.

Spencer chuckled. “Well, apparently I am inexplicably fond of you all insecure and floundering. Let's just figure this out one step at a time. Come here.” He pulled Aaron in for a kiss that started as light as the first one in the living room.

It gave Aaron some of his confidence back and he opened his lips, letting his tongue lick against Spencer's lips. His genius opened up with a soft moan and started to walk him backwards against the coatrack. Hands went wandering and gripped at clothes and hair. Their kisses turned into an outright heated snog and Aaron never wanted it to stop, even though he was running low on oxygen.

Eventually Spencer pulled back slightly, leaving both gasping for air.

“Now I just have to figure out how to tell Jack.”

“Tell me what?” Both their heads snapped around and found Jack sitting on the stairs with The Scientists settled around him. Spencer tried to take a step away but Aaron just tightened the arm he had around his waist and kept him where he was.

“You mean, you wanna tell me that you finally got it that Spencer is probably the best guy ever and you wanna snog him and date him so he'll hopefully stay with us forever? I got that. And I'm totally fine with it. Can we order Chinese? I'm hungry.”

They both looked at Jack for a few seconds before Aaron burst out laughing and Spencer joined in, sagging against his new boyfriend as all the tension left him.

Once Aaron had his breathing somewhat under control again he said “Yes, let's order Chinese.”

Albert chose that moment to give a harmless growl and bark. “Oh yeah,” Jack said, “The Scientists are hungry as well.”

“I'll go and feed them.” Spencer disentangled himself from Aaron against his protests. “I'll be back in a few minutes.” He pressed a reassuring kiss onto the corner of Aaron's lips. “Jack knows what I like to order.”

 

\----

 

Months later, when the winter had turned the garden white and the streets to ice, Aaron found himself stretched out on his couch with his genius draped all over him. The Scientists where tucked around and in between their feet and legs, not caring one bit that they were kissing and making out like teenagers. They were all warm and comfortable while the wind blew freezing cold around the house.

_It's not so bad having temptation move in next door if fate allows you to lure it onto your side of the fence._


End file.
